Irish hauiler gets extra jail time for not paying compensation to 39 victims' families
A haulage boss who admitted the manslaughter of 39 people who were found in the back of a lorry must serve an extra year and four months in jail after failing to pay the full amount of compensation ordered to families.
Ronan Hughes was jailed for 20 years in 2021 for the manslaughter of the Vietnamese nationals, aged between 15 and 44, found in a vehicle in Essex on October 22 2019.
The victims died in sweltering conditions as they were transported in an airtight container from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet.
Hughes, 45, of Armagh, Northern Ireland, was taken back to court in 2024 and ordered to pay more than £182,000 in compensation to the families of victims.
Ronan Hughes
News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday, July 29
He has paid £58,380 towards the confiscation order, but as of Tuesday - and including the interest accrued - he still owed more than £127,000.
The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division invited a court to impose an additional sentence on Hughes in light of his failure to pay the confiscation order.
He appeared before Folkstone Magistrates' Court for an enforcement hearing on Tuesday and the judge ordered that he serve an additional year and four months in prison, the CPS said.
Heather Chalk, specialist prosecutor for the CPS, said: "Ronan Hughes led an unscrupulous network of organised criminals that sought to profit from smuggling desperate people.
"It is devastating that 39 vulnerable people lost their lives because of their greed and recklessness.
"The CPS is committed to working with law enforcement to dismantle these smuggling networks and prevent them from profiting from their criminality.
"Hughes failed to pay back his confiscation order in full and, as a result, he will be serving additional time in jail."
In addition to Hughes, four other men were jailed for between 13 and 27 years for the manslaughter of the men, women and children.
They are: Romanian mechanic Gheorghe Nica, 48; Romanian Marius Mihai Draghici, 52, who was described as Nica's "second-in-command"; lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 30, of Craigavon, who found the bodies; and Eamonn Harrison, 28, of Co Down, who had collected the victims on the continent.
To date, more than £283,000 in ill-gotten gains has been ordered to be paid by defendants as compensation to the victims' families.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sunday World
4 hours ago
- Sunday World
Dubliner jailed for stealing and crashing €80k car after day out with girlfriend
The court heard that Melia had taken a brand new Toyota Land Cruiser from the driveway of a house in Greystones before crashing it a short distance away A Dublin man who stole a car in order to get home from a day out with his girlfriend in Greystones, Co Wicklow before crashing it and trying to hijack another vehicle has been jailed for five and half years. Alan Melia (31) of Cherry Orchard Avenue, Ballyfermot pleaded guilty to the unauthorised taking of a vehicle as well as causing criminal damage to it to the value of €80,000 on February 9, 2024. He also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of attempting to hijack another vehicle on the same date. His girlfriend, Jade Burns (21) of Beatty Park, Celbridge, Co Kildare separately pleaded guilty to charges of trespass and allowing herself to be carried in a stolen vehicle. A sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court heard that Melia had taken a brand new Toyota Land Cruiser from the driveway of a house at Blacklion, Greystones, Co Wicklow at around 7.30pm before crashing it a short distance away on Killincarrig Road, Greystones. Garda witnesses described how Melia drove forward and crashed the vehicle into a garden wall with Burns in the passenger seat after the owner of the vehicle, his wife and another male had attempted to stop him driving away. They told prosecution counsel, James Kelly BL, that the other male was struck by an open passenger door as Melia then reversed out of the driveway. However, the owner of the Land Cruiser managed to get Burns out of the passenger seat from the vehicle before Melia made his getaway. Stock photo News in 90 Seconds, Friday August 1 The court heard he appeared to have lost control a short distance away and crashed into an ESB pole while driving 'at significant speed.' Gardaí said that Melia then attempted to hijack another vehicle from an eyewitness who had stopped his vehicle to assist the accused thinking he might have been seriously injured. Evidence was given that Melia jumped into the rear seat of a white Mercedes-Benz before trying to climb into the driver's seat. A struggle ensued between the accused and the driver who managed to get out of the car with the keys of the vehicle. Melia was then detained by a number of individuals until gardaí arrived on the scene. The driver of the Mercedes-Benz told gardaí that Melia sounded incoherent and under the influence of something. The accused was brought to St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin for treatment but was discharged a short time later and brought to Bray Garda station. Melia, who was on bail at the time, made full admissions to gardaí when interviewed the following morning apart from disputing that he was trying to steal the Mercedes-Benz. The court heard he had 112 previous convictions. Melia is already serving a six and a half years prison sentence imposed by the Court of Appeal over an incident in which he rammed Garda vehicles while driving the wrong way down the M1 motorway after robbing a petrol station in Northern Ireland on August 23, 2020. Burns, who had no previous convictions, was also cooperative although she did not identify Melia to gardaí and could not remember the incident. In a victim impact statement, the owner of the Toyota Land Cruiser, said it was an incident he wanted to forget and his child still had nightmares about it. The man said he had also suffered financially as he was out of work for weeks without his vehicle, while his motor insurance costs had also increased. Under cross-examination by counsel for Melia, Colman FitzGerald SC, gardai acknowledged that the defendant wanted to take the jeep to drive home to Ballyfermot and agreed that it was not 'a planned enterprise.' Mr FitzGerald told Judge John Martin that the accused had very significant difficulties in his life from a young age and was 'caught up in a flurry of drug-taking and criminality.' 'There is a chaotic and criminal rhythm to his life,' Mr FitzGerald noted. Counsel for Burns, Comfort Odesola BL, said she was deeply remorseful and embarrassed about her actions. Ms Odesola said the accused had been brought up in foster care but had turned to drug abuse after she was 18. She told the court that Burns was hanging out with her boyfriend on the day before they decided to go to Greystones and there was no intention to commit any burglary. The barrister said what happened had been a catalyst for Burns to make changes and to take life more seriously. She noted that the accused was assessed at being at a moderate risk of reoffending due to being unemployed but stressed that she had 'cleaned up her act' and had been drug-free since the incident. Judge Martin said the evidence about Melia was 'most unimpressive' and noted that he had threatened a prison governor while in jail. Commenting on a report from the prison governor where he was described as 'nothing but trouble', the judge said he had 'never seen one like it.' He also observed that Melia was 'no stranger' to the unauthorised taking of vehicles. 'It was appalling behaviour. There is no other word for it,' said the judge. He claimed Melia had shown a persistence in attempting to take the vehicle and was 'determined to drive it like a dodgem.' The judge imposed sentences of six and a half years imprisonment for the criminal damage to the vehicle, four years for stealing it and four years for the attempted hijack with all terms to run concurrently. Judge Martin said he would suspend the final 12 months of the sentence for a period of two years to encourage rehabilitation and on condition that Melia places himself under the supervision of the Probation Service on his release and attend addiction counselling. He sentenced Burns to 18 months in prison for being carried in a stolen vehicle and six months for the trespass offence but suspended both sentences fully on condition she places herself under the supervision of the Probation Service for a period of two years. Addressing Burns the judge remarked: 'You got in with a bad lot and they have brought you down.' He also observed that she might not be in court if she had been in the stolen vehicle with Melia after he drove away. On her relationship with her co-accused, he advised: 'Maybe you could do better for yourself.'
Sunday World
8 hours ago
- Sunday World
Nikita Hand to sue her two former neighbours and Conor McGregor over withdrawn claims
Court dismisses the former MMA fighter's appeal in civil rape case The mother of one is suing the former UFC champion as well as Samantha O'Reilly and Steven Cummins for damages, claiming they had been involved in 'malicious abuse' of the processes of the Court of Appeal. The High Court action was filed yesterday, shortly after the Court of Appeal dismissed McGregor's challenge to the outcome of a civil rape case Ms Hand won against him last year. A jury found in favour of Ms Hand, a hair colourist from Drimnagh in Dublin, last November and awarded her close to €250,000 in damages after she gave evidence that she was raped by McGregor in a hotel in 2018. News in 90 Seconds, Friday August 1 McGregor quickly appealed and had planned to call Ms O'Reilly and Mr Cummins as witnesses offering an alternate theory as to how Ms Hand suffered extensive bruising. The couple are former neighbours of Ms Hand. Ms O'Reilly swore an affidavit suggesting Ms Hand was punched and kicked by her then partner just hours after she says she was raped by McGregor. The claim was dismissed as 'lies' by Ms Hand, whose lawyers had planned to cross-examine the couple. But when McGregor's appeal opened last month, his legal team dramatically dropped an application to introduce their evidence, claiming it would have difficulty persuading the three-judge court to admit it. Nikita Hand speaks after the hearing. Photo: Collins The judges decided to refer papers in the case to the DPP following an application from Ms Hand's counsel John Gordon SC, who alleged there had been perjury by Ms O'Reilly and Mr Cummins, as well as subornation of perjury by McGregor. None of the three have commented on the allegations made by the barrister. Now, on top of a potential criminal investigation, the three are set to face a civil action from Ms Hand. A plenary summons was filed yesterday by her solicitors Coleman Legal LLP. It is understood a statement of claim, providing further details about the lawsuit, will be filed in due course. In its ruling dismissing McGregor's appeal, the Court of Appeal said the application to introduce the evidence of Ms O'Reilly and Mr Cummins had been dropped in 'somewhat mysterious' circumstances and that no plausible reason had been given for this turn of events. Mr Justice Brian O'Moore said the abandonment of the application could be seen by the court only as an acknowledgment that Ms Hand was correct. Read more He also said Ms Hand's counsel had not been exaggerating when he said this 'new evidence' had put Ms Hand 'through the wringer' Yesterday, the Court of Appeal dismissed McGregor's legal challenge in its entirety after dismissing five grounds put forward. McGregor's grounds of appeal included 'no comment' responses given by him during his garda interviews being put to the jury, and the jury being asked to deliberate on an 'assault' rather than 'sexual assault'. Other arguments advanced were alleged failures by the trial judge during his charge to the jury, and the ability of McGregor's counsel to carry out an effective cross-examination. On the argument around the issue paper, the judges said it was 'simply unreal' to suggest that any juror could have been confused by the wording when the issue was 'framed in a clear way' by the trial judge when he spoke of intentional and non-consensual contact. This ground of appeal was rejected. The court also said it was satisfied that the potential prejudice to McGregor in relation to his 'no comment' answers being put to the jury was not established. 'The real risk of an unfair trial has not been demonstrated,' Mr Justice O'Moore said in relation to this ground of appeal as he rejected it. James Lawrence. Photo: Collins McGregor's friend James Lawrence, who was also sued by Ms Hand but was found by a jury not to have raped her, also appealed against a High Court decision not to award him costs. This was also rejected by the Court of the Appeal, which cited evidence in the trial that McGregor was paying his friend's costs. The three judges said that if Mr Lawrence was awarded costs and repaid his friend, then Ms Hand would ultimately be making payments 'to the man who raped her', referring to McGregor. If he did not, he would be awarded a 'bounty' for his troubles. Ms Hand, also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, was awarded €248,603.60 in damages by the High Court last year and McGregor was also ordered to pay about €1.3m in legal costs following November's trial. Speaking outside the High Court yesterday, Ms Hand thanked her legal team, the Rape Crisis Centre and three judges of the appeal court. 'I'm deeply grateful for everyone who supported me, believed in me and stood by my side during this long and painful journey,' she said. 'This appeal has retraumatised me over and over again. 'Being forced to relive it, what has happened has had a huge impact on me. 'For every survivor out there, I know how hard it is, but please don't be silent, you deserve to be heard, you also deserve justice. 'Today I can finally move on and try to heal.'
Irish Post
2 days ago
- Irish Post
Co. Armagh man jailed over 39 deaths in people-smuggling operation has sentence extended
A MAN from Co. Armagh who was jailed over the deaths of 39 Vietnamese men, woman and children in a people-smuggling operation has had his sentence extended. Ronan Hughes, 45, was sentenced to 20 years in February 2021 after pleading guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter and one count of conspiring to assist unlawful immigration. However, he has now been handed an additional 16 months in prison after failing to fully pay a Confiscation Order. "Ronan Hughes led an unscrupulous network of organised criminals that sought to profit from smuggling desperate people," said Heather Chalk of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). "It is devastating that 39 vulnerable people lost their lives because of their greed and recklessness." Hughes was taken back to court last year and ordered to pay back a Confiscation Order totalling £182,078.90, to be paid in compensation to the victims' families. However, having only paid back a little more than £58,000, the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division asked the court to impose an additional sentence. On Tuesday, with Hughes still owning £123,698 (plus interest) a judge at Folkestone Magistrates' Court ordered him to serve an additional year and four months. "Hughes failed to pay back his Confiscation Order in full and, as a result, he will be serving additional time in jail," said Ms Chalk. Conspiracy On October 23, 2019, 39 Vietnamese nationals aged between 15 and 44 were found unresponsive in the back of a lorry in Essex. They had died of oxygen starvation after being sealed in the air-tight container for nearly 12 hours. The lorry had travelled from Zeebrugge in Belgium to the Port of Purfleet in Essex. The CPS says Hughes was the ringleader of the operation, however, several other people have been convicted and sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. They include Eamonn Harrison, 28, from Co. Down, who collected the victims in northern France before dropping the container at Zeebrugge. He was found guilty of people-smuggling and 39 counts of manslaughter in December 2020 and sentenced to 18 years in prison. Maurice Robinson, 30, from Co. Armagh picked up the trailer in Purfleet and discovered the bodies. He was sentenced to 13 years and four months in January 2021 after pleading guilty to manslaughter and people smuggling. At the same time, 28-year-old Christopher Kennedy from Co. Armagh was jailed for seven years for his part in the wider smuggling operation, having been found guilty of conspiracy to assist in unlawful immigration. Caolan Gormley, 28, from Co. Armagh was sentenced in November 2023 to seven years after he was found guilty of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. While not directly involved in the events of that night, an investigation by Essex Constabulary revealed he was a member of the wider conspiracy to assist in people smuggling. See More: Essex Lorry Deaths, People Smuggling, Ronan Hughes
